10ft wire whip overkill for a cb?

camoman5392 · Nov 14, 2010

hey guys, my dad had a big whip antenna sitting out in the garage, so i went ahead and mounted it on the pass. side of the rear bumper. now im reading that's a poor mounting location, but with this big of antenna i dont wanna mount it to the cab or top of the bed. i already drag it across the mcdonalds drive thru, and trim the roadside trees with it lol. will it be ok where it is? i plan on ordering the uniden cb from radio shack with this pay or the next

02RangerXLT · Nov 15, 2010

I'm not sure about the location, but I suggest you stop driving through drive thru's with it... You should find a way to be able to tie it down at the front of the bed, that way all you gotta do is bend it to the front, clip it down, and you won't hit it on the signs anymore.

strvger · Nov 15, 2010

that location will be as good as any other with that antenna. just keep in mind that your greatest transmit and receive range will be toward the opposite (driver's side front corner) corner of your truck. it follows where the most sheet metal is on your truck. hope there was a spring on it when you mounted it up. if not, you should get a big, heavy duty one for it. lastly, it is NOT the preferred antenna for trail riding, obviously. but have fun with it anyway!

camoman5392 · Nov 15, 2010

ya i think i might get a 2 or 3 foot fiberglass antenna n put it on the fender like a couple other people on here have done when i can. the 10ft antenna with the rubber chicken on the bottom to keep it from hittin the bed makes my truck stick out bad. thats not always a good thing with how i drive lol

ufgators68 · Nov 15, 2010

Definitely tie it down. I forgot about it one night and took out three rows of fluorescent lights in a parking garage.

The security guard was far from impressed. :icon_rofl:

4x4junkie · Nov 15, 2010

It should be 8½ feet (102"), not 10 feet (120"). 10 feet would be too long to transmit properly.

Agreed, a full-length whip is the best antenna if you're using a bumper mount. However if you center mount the antenna, a shorter one should still be fine.
I run a 5' Francis on the roof of my BII (IIRC, called a "Hot Rod"). Works excellent.

93_RangerSC · Nov 16, 2010

4x4junkie is right it should be a 8.5 ft not a 10 ft even tho they do make those they dont work out to good. an ideal location would be if you have a toolbox mount it to the front dead center because that almost the dead center of your whole truck

02RangerXLT · Nov 16, 2010

Also... you want at least 2/3 of the antenna above the roof line... the idea place for the antenna is on the roof, but you would definitely need a shorter antenna for that application.

feellnfroggy · Dec 27, 2010

They make dual antenna adapters so you could run the big long range whip and a 2-3 footer. But I have heard mixed reviews about dual antennas, If youhave your radio peaked and tuned then you shouldnt have any problems with that big antenna. Just run a piece of rope to the opposite side of the bed for a tie down when you need to run lowhangin stuff.

02RangerXLT · Dec 27, 2010

You need at least 9ft of space between dual antennas for a good setup to be completed, the only reason semi's can run dual antennas is so the signals can get around the sides of the tall trailers and trucks, though most run single antennas and just live with it.

feellnfroggy · Dec 28, 2010

yeah true but if he ran a shortie on the front driver side of the truck and the whip on the right rear it would give him more than 9 ft of space. Let him keep his badass whip and still have decent reception and tuning LOL. Otherwise send me the whip and Ill suffer through it.

4x4junkie · Dec 30, 2010

So his signal pattern will run at a 45° to his truck? :icon_confused:

Dual co-phased antennas are primarily used by OTR haulers to beam their signal primarily along the highway to the front & rear of the truck where others they communicate with are located (leaving less signal to the sides). Unless you want to talk only in front of and behind you (and have the proper spacing available to correctly install dual antennas), a single antenna having an omnidirectional pattern will always be the better option.

Boggin · Dec 30, 2010

I have a 4ft on my roof and I talk to people miles and miles away

feellnfroggy · Dec 31, 2010

I have a 4 ft also and do just fine i was just htinkin of how he could keep his whip. he seems to like it. as far as the junkies idea, he should still get the standard signal pattern, its just that his increased patternf rom the extra antenna would be oblong. But it was more a fun idea than anything practical. Im still learning too tho. so my suggestions wont always make sense.

Tbmitchell · Jan 6, 2011

Go Big Or Go Home

10ft wire whip overkill for a cb?

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